Steam cleaning of the core in the process of electrodeposition of metal thereon



Jan. 3, 1939. F. L. ANTISELL 2, 2, 86

STEAM CLEANING OF THE CORE IN THE PROCESS OF ELECTRODEPOSITION OF METAL THEREON Filed June 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 copper uil'on copper Sol. (cal (hot) co qer solution Jan. 3, 1939. F. ANTHSELL 2,142,486

STEAM CLEANING OF THE CORE IN THE PROCESS OF ELECTRODEPOSITION OF METAL THEREON Filed June 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FMmk L. AW

Patented Jan. 3,1939

UNITED STATES STEAM CLEANING OF THE CORE IN THE" PROCESS OF ELECTRODEPOSITION METAL THEREON Frank L. Antisemwukinsburg, Pa., assignonto Copperweld Steel Company, Glassport, Pa., a corporation of Bennsylvania Application June 5,

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to the electrodeposition of metal on a core, rod or wire, and more particularly to the cleaning of-the core as a preliminary step in said electrodeposition.

An object of my invention is the thorough cleansing of the core wire so that the initial or underlying deposit of metal in the succeeding electrolytic bath is uniform and of high quality.

The present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Ser. No. 649,532, filed December 30, 1932, now Patent Number 2,075,331.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention:

Figure l is a diagrammatic plan view of apparatus for electrolytically depositing metal on a core such as a rod or wire.

Figure 2 is a schematic view in side elevation of the portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, in which the cleansing of the core is carried out.

Figure 3 is a view principally in vertical section through a steam nozzle employed for throwing a jet of steam against the core or wire.

Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating the relation between the nozzle and the core, the nozzle being shown in section. I

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line V -V of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line VIVI of Figure 4.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the core or wire to be coated with metal is fed from a pay 85 reel 2 through a series of cleaning baths 3, 4 and 5. The cleaning baths may be of different compositions, but I have found that in coating a steel core with copper, or first with nickel or tin and thereafter with copper; effective cleaning can be accomplished when the bath 3 is a soda solution, the bath 4 is a sulphuric acid solution, and the bath 5 is a nitric acid solution. The core 8 then passes through a solution of a nickel salt, for example nickel sulphate, in the tronnel 1;

and after that passes through a copper solution in the tronnel 8-, and thereafter through a plurality of tronnels 9, each of which contains an acid solution of a copper salt such as copper sulphate.

After passing through the last of the tronnels 9, the core is wound up on a take-up reel I0 which is rotatably mounted in a frame H driven by a motor and gearing I! so as to rotate theframe at substantially a right angle to the M axis of rotation of the reel Ill. The pay reel 2 at 1956, Serial No. 83,685

the entrance end of the apparatus is mounted in a similar framework I3, driven by a motor and gearing I4. The construction is such that the core rotates about its axis as it is advanced through the various baths.

By tronnel I mean a trough-like structure with open ends, to which the solution or electrolyte is supplied at such a rate as to maintain the desired depth of liquid therein. In other words, since the tronnels do not form closed containers, but are open at the ends, it is necessary to continuously circulate the solution of electrolyte through the tronnels, the solution flowing out at the ends where it is collected, filtered if necessary, andthen returned to the respective tronnel. As shown in Figure 2, the solution flows from the ends of each tronnel into receivers l5, and is conducted by pipes I6 to a sump (not shown). It is then pumped, after being filtered if necessary, back to the tronnel through the pipe 20.

The use of such open end tronnels for the solutions eliminates the necessity for providing stuiI- ing boxes, which are objectionable for the reason that the packing scratches the surface, and furthermore may introduce foreign matter.- It will be understood that when reference is made to open end tronnels, this does not mean that the ends are absolutely free of any structure impeding the flow of liquid. A weir or baflie may be employed, the essential thought being that the entrance and exit of the wire is effected without passing it through stuffing boxes or the like.

The character of the grain structure of the' electrolytic deposit of copper it materially affected by the character of the initial film or coating on the core. It is important that the initial deposit of copper be of high quality, as the succeeding grain structure, built on the initial film, cannot be good if the initial deposit was poor. In other words, poor grain structure in the initial deposit carries through the superposed deposit. It is important, therefore, that the core 6 be properly cleaned and freed o1 adhering im= purities before entering the tronnel 1, whether this tronnel contain nickel solution or some other solution for coating the core with metal.

The soda, sulphuric acid, and nitric acid supplement each other so as to have a thorough cleansing action on the skin of the core, removing grease and metallic oxides so that the steel may receive directly the metal deposit from the electrolyte in the first tronnel I. The efl'ect of these cleaning solutions, and more particularly of the nitric acid, is to leave the wire soiled by a product eifectively removed with water. I have discovered 'lbyimpinlingasteamjetupontheooreinthe,

mannerillustratedinl'igures4to8,inclusive.of the drawings. I

Itisbeneflcialtoemployasteamjetafterthe passage through the soda bath, and another steam jet 'after the passage through the sulphuric acid bath; but the use of steam Jets at these points is not essential, and because of the cost of the steam they may be omitted. It is particularly important that a steam jet be employed following the treatment with nitric acid and prior to the introduction of the core into the tronnel I.

As illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, a nozzle 25, which has a slot-like orifice 26, projects a flat jet or ribbon of steam against the rotating core I, the width of the jet extending along the axis of the core. In order'to thoroughly cleanse the core, the steam should impinge upon the core at such an angle as to have a component or movement contrary to the direction in which the core is advancing. Due to this angular arrangement of the steam Jet, the smut adhering to the core is forced back upon the advancing contaminated core.

It is furthermore apparent from Figures 5 and 6 that the jet is directed upon the core in such manner as to blow over the upper portion thereof with a scrubbing action. As is apparent from the arrow indicating the direction of rotation of the core, the

top portion of the core is moving toward thenozale 2' to heighten the scrubbing effect. The steam scrubs over the top of the rotating core approximately tangentially thereto so as to throw oi! a large portion of the impurities and force the remaining impurities back upon the core which is yet to be steam treated.

It has been found that by so arranging the steam jet, the liquid on the core is forced backauacse spattered on both sides ofthe point of application of the jet with the resulting formation of spots or stains upon the wire.

In conjunction with the steam nozzles 25, I may employ water jets. As shown in Figure 2, a water jet 21 is employed following the treatment in the soda solution and another water Jet is employed following the treatment in the sulphuric acid solution. The steam let alone is sufllcient to cleanse the core after it passes thorough the nitric acid tronnel I.

The arrangement of the steam let in accordance with my invention has proved to be particularly eflective in removing the troublesome impurities adhering to the core, as above explained. If the steam Jet impinges upon the contaminated core improperly, it drives the particles of encrusted smut into the pores of the metal core. This is particularly diiiicult to avoid because the various cleaning baths 3, 4 and 5 tend to give the core an etched or crystalline surface (not a smooth or polished surface which can be readily cleaned) that precludes the use of a rotary cleaning brush or the like.

I claim:

The method of electrodeposition, which comprises continuously rotating and passing a core such as a rod or wire through an acid bath which leaves adhering materialon ,the core, moving the core past a ribbon-like steam jet with the width of the jet along the axis of the core, and applyin: the steam to the core tangentially at an acute angle to the core and in a direction opposite to the movement of the core, and then passing the core as a cathode through an electrolyte to electrodeposit metal on the core. 1

FRANK L. ANTIBELL. 

